58 Caliber Roundball Loads

[Nate Eller]

I have just recently picked up my first left handed flintlock today, it has a 35 inch Bill Large straight octagon barrel that looks to be about 1:70 ROT, micro click adjustable target sights and an L&R lock. Any advice on general flintlock rifle reliability and loads for the 58. I've already got some 570 balls and 18 and 20 thousandths patches.

 

[shb]

Like every other rifle on the planet, you'll have to try some different combinations.

I had a 58 plains rifle made up with a flintlock. I started off with 75gr of 3f, and a .562 w/ a .018 patch.


It ended up liking 90gr of 3f, with a .575 ball.


75gr 3f




90gr 3f




Field testing

 

[Nate Eller]

How hard was it to fit that l&r lock into the existing lock mortice on your rifle? I have a Lyman 54 percussion that id like to put a new lock into, but I am distrustful of the l&r being supposedly drop in.

 

[shb]

I dont know, it was a custom made for me by a gunsmith friend. I dont possess those skills.

 

[Sheltowee]

Like every other rifle on the planet, you'll have to try some different combinations.

I had a 58 plains rifle made up with a flintlock. I started off with 75gr of 3f, and a .562 w/ a .018 patch.


It ended up liking 90gr of 3f, with a .575 ball.


75gr 3f
View attachment 391237



90gr 3f
View attachment 391236



Field testing
View attachment 391238








View attachment 391235

 

[Nate Eller]

I dont know, it was a custom made for me by a gunsmith friend. I dont possess those skills.

How does it do on large game? Do you usually get exit holes? WHat would your max range be?

 

[shb]

I shot one deer with it.

She didn't slow it down much.

My max would be about 125 with these old eyes.

 

[Nate Eller]

Thank you

 

[BrentD]

Sweet!

I have two Bill Large guns. A .54 halfstock and a .45 full stock.
I would use 2 fg or 1.5 fg to start with. 4f in the pan.

 

[shb]

Sweet!

I have two Bill Large guns. A .54 halfstock and a .45 full stock.
I would use 2 fg or 1.5 fg to start with. 4f in the pan.

The best gun show luck i ever had, was a Bill Large Plains Rifle in .54 - a Sharon Trade Rifle in .54, and Browning Mountain Rifle. In one day, all in for $930

I gave the Large to friend who knew what it was, for his birthday.

Used the Sharon parts to make a percussion plains rifle.

Traded the mountain Rifle for a .36 half stock plains style squirrel rifle.

 

[Bullshot]

I did kill a buck a couple years back with around a 70 grain 2F charge but it really did not react significantly to my 1st hit and it was an unpleasant ensuing rodeo to track it and followup.

I'll be experimenting with my 58 hunting load this month which I raised to 90g and may raise up to about 110 grains 2F. Many people go a little higher still with good results. A good polished bore and the right patch make a big difference, and a wool wad under the PRB may also be beneficial.

 

[David58]

70 grains is a bit lite, imho, if the rifle is heavy enough 90-110 shouldn't hurt too much. I would tend toward that bigger load behind a 58.

 

[Nate Eller]

I did kill a buck a couple years back with around a 70 grain 2F charge but it really did not react significantly to my 1st hit and it was an unpleasant ensuing rodeo to track it and followup.

I'll be experimenting with my 58 hunting load this month which I raised to 90g and may raise up to about 110 grains 2F. Many people go a little higher still with good results. A good polished bore and the right patch make a big difference, and a wool wad under the PRB may also be beneficial.

I shoot 100grs of 3f in the 54 caplock I have, my guess is this gun will be in the 100-120grs of 2f region, accounting for the slower twist. That, and the heavier powder charges flatten out trajectories a bit in the big bores.

 

[Nate Eller]

Got to the range today and did some load work up for my first left handed flinter. Started off by zeroing the sights at 25 yards, and then moved to fifty. At 50 yards, I started off at 80 grains of goex 2f, and worked my way up to 100. I did not go beyond 100 this trip because I was running out of light and need to give a Fowler it's last chance before I send it down the line. 80 grains was the ticket, producing a roughly 1 inch group, with the 90 grain load a close second at 1.5 inches, and the 100 grain a distant third at 2.5 Inches. Recoil was also becoming noticeable off of the bench with the 100 grain load, as the butt plate is quite narrow and pointed, and began digging into my shoulder. Offhand the gun is fine but from the bench it is awakening. The ball patch combo was a .570 Hornady ball and an 18 thousandths pillow ticking patch lubed with water. All the patches looked fine with no burning or cutting, and the rifle is fun to shoot. The small target with 5 shots on it was my first attempt at shooting this gun offhand at 50 yards. Not great, not terrible. Any advice for shooting flintlocks offhand. The gun is somewhat muzzle heavy, and tends to sag and rock a bit on target.

 

[rogerthat]

Fantastic shooting as far as I’m concerned

 

[Nate Eller]

The shoot n see targets were shot off of a bench, the blue red and yellow target was the offhand target. The gun shoots a lot better than I do

 

[BAKPAKR]

How does it do on large game? Do you usually get exit holes? WHat would your max range be?

I shot a whitetail buck through the lungs with a round ball out of my 54 cal T/C Renegade at 35-40 yards. The ball exited, and the buck ran a little arc by me and I watched him drop.

 

[David58]

Got to the range today and did some load work up for my first left handed flinter. Started off by zeroing the sights at 25 yards, and then moved to fifty. At 50 yards, I started off at 80 grains of goex 2f, and worked my way up to 100. I did not go beyond 100 this trip because I was running out of light and need to give a Fowler it's last chance before I send it down the line. 80 grains was the ticket, producing a roughly 1 inch group, with the 90 grain load a close second at 1.5 inches, and the 100 grain a distant third at 2.5 Inches. Recoil was also becoming noticeable off of the bench with the 100 grain load, as the butt plate is quite narrow and pointed, and began digging into my shoulder. Offhand the gun is fine but from the bench it is awakening. The ball patch combo was a .570 Hornady ball and an 18 thousandths pillow ticking patch lubed with water. All the patches looked fine with no burning or cutting, and the rifle is fun to shoot. The small target with 5 shots on it was my first attempt at shooting this gun offhand at 50 yards. Not great, not terrible. Any advice for shooting flintlocks offhand. The gun is somewhat muzzle heavy, and tends to sag and rock a bit on target.

Do not put that nice curved buttplate on your shoulder. You want it off your shoulder a bit, like the toe is kinda at your armpit. You also stand pretty sideways to the target - not aiming standing "behind" the gun.
From the bench, sit sideways, allow yourself to roll up on your left buttcheek with the recoil. You're not really going to roll, but allow your body to give as much as possible to be like shooting off hand. Personally, I hate shooting from the bench.
I like a bit muzzle heavy - you will get used to it as you shoot, and will find that you settle in more steady with time and will grow to prefer it. I have a horrid time shooting off hand with a modern rifle, but with my MLs I prefer to shoot off hand when hunting.

David
ID

 

[Nate Eller]

Do not put that nice curved buttplate on your shoulder. You want it off your shoulder a bit, like the toe is kinda at your armpit. You also stand pretty sideways to the target - not aiming standing "behind" the gun.
From the bench, sit sideways, allow yourself to roll up on your left buttcheek with the recoil. You're not really going to roll, but allow your body to give as much as possible to be like shooting off hand. Personally, I hate shooting from the bench.
I like a bit muzzle heavy - you will get used to it as you shoot, and will find that you settle in more steady with time and will grow to prefer it. I have a horrid time shooting off hand with a modern rifle, but with my MLs I prefer to shoot off hand when hunting.

David
ID

The way the beach was setup I could not blade to the target at all unfortunately. From standing that's what I do, hook the butt over my bicep, and blade myself 90 degrees. Thank you